Eritrea Participated in the High-Level Meeting on the Follow-up to the Second UN Conference on LLDCs held in Zambia

'Eritrea Making Significant Progress in Advancing Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women': Eritrean Delegation Statement at the AU Summit

A delegation led by Ambassador Araya Desta, Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa, participated in the 25th African Union (AU) Summit held in Pretoria and Johannesburg, South Africa from 7-15 June 2015, under the theme “Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063.”

The 25th Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government which was held on 14 and
15 of June was preceded by the 27th Session of the Executive Council (from 11-13 June), and the 30th Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (from 7-9 June).

During the discussion on the theme held at the session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, Ambassador Araya shared Eritrea’s experience in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women. He elucidated that Eritrean women did not wait to be given their rights but they took it upon themselves to guarantee their rights. Under the motto “Equality through Equal Participation” they stood side by side with their brothers to liberate the country. They are now at the center of the efforts to defend the hard-earned independence and to build the nation.

Ambassador Araya elaborated that the Eritrean Government has put in place policies and institutions that promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. Guided by the principle of social justice, the Government has made huge investment, among others, in expanding maternal health services, girls’ education, access to water, as well as the modernization of agriculture, provision of firewood saving stoves and micro-credit services.

In the political sphere, Ambassador Araya informed the Assembly that Eritrea promotes the participation of
women from the village to national levels through reserving quotas to women in Assemblies, community courts and administrative structures. He also indicated that Eritrea’s laws guarantee the equality of women in
all aspects of life, including access to and ownership of land and property. He added that Eritrea outlawed underage marriage and set the minimum age of marriage at 18, as well as criminalized FGM.

Ambassador Araya concluded his statement by stating that the measures and investments have resulted in improved wellbeing of women, and their greater participation in all aspects of the social, political and economic life of the country. Nevertheless, the Eritrean People and Government, not contented with this significant progress, are striving to ensure full empowerment of women and gender equality.

The Eritrean Delegation which participated in the 25th Summit of the African Union (AU) held in South Africa from 7-15 June 2015, stated that human trafficking and smuggling are among the most serious contemporary challenges confronting the African continent and that the scourges have claimed and continue to claim the lives of thousands of Africans, especially youth.

The Delegation elucidated that Eritrea, as one of the countries affected, has been closely working
with its neighbors, countries of transit and destination as well as the AU and other regional and international organizations to combat the problem.

In this regard, the Delegation called for the expeditious implementation of the outcomes of the Regional Conference on Human Trafficking and Smuggling in the Horn of Africa held in Khartoum, Sudan from 13-16 October 2014. The Assembly of Heads of State and Government accepted Eritrea’s call and endorsed the outcomes of the Regional Conference.

Moreover, during the discussions on the reform of the UN and Africa’s increased representation in the UN
Security Council, the Eritrean Delegation underscored the need to reaffirm the African Common Position on
the issue as contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. The Delegation also called for
redoubling AU’s efforts to garner support from other countries and regional groupings to the African Common Position, and cautioned against piecemeal approach to the reform process.